Adjustable carriage for slit lamp



O'c'QI,v 1968 1 .A, WILKINSON I 3,403,957

ADJUSTABLE CARRIAGE FOR .SLIT LAMP l Filed Sept. 23, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

0 LEONARD A. wlLxmsoN @um m, @JL/@m ATTORNEYS Oct. l, 1968 L.. A. WILKINSON 3,403,957

ADJUSTABLE cARRIAGE'FoR sLI'r LAMP y 5 Sheet-s-She'et 2 Filed sept. 23. 1964 3 -J4|5 INVENTOR LEONARD A. wnLKmsoN Oct. 1, 1968 L. A. WILKINSON ADJUSTABLE CARRIAGE FOR .SLIT LAMP 3 Sheets-Sheet. 3

Filed Sept. 23, 1964 INVENTOR LEONARD A. WILKINSON ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,403,957 ADJUSTABLE CARRIAGE FOR SLIT LAMP Leonard A. Wilkinson, Snyder, NY., assignor to American Optical Company, Southbridge, Mass. Filed sept. 23, 1964, ser. No. 398,697 2 Claims. (Cl. S51- 38) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A base having guide rails -mounting a frame having guide rails perpendicular to the first guide rails and mounting a carriage so that the carriage is freely -movable in a plane relative to the base. A control lever universally mounted on the carriage engages a reaction assembly which resists movement of one end of the control lever while its opposite end is moved, thereby to impart motion to the carriage in the direction of movement of such opposite end of the control lever.

This invention relates to compound motion transmitting devices and pertains, more particularly, to such mechanism adapted for use in conjunction with optical instruments and the like.

An instrument useful in the field of biomicroscopy is the so-called slit lamp, an instrument used by those in the ophthalmic profession for stereoscopic examination of the fundus and vitreous. Such an instrument incorporates a base having a suitable support such as chin and forehead rests for the patient being examined, and a mounting member upon which a microscope and lamp housing together with mechanism for projecting `a slit of light to the patients pupil are mounted. The support must be Capable of adjustment toward and away from the patient as well as movement in the direction lateral thereto and .for up and down movement in order that the instrument may be properly positioned with respect to the patient. It is t0 this compound motion to which the present invention is particularly and specifically addressed although it will be of course appreciated that the present invention is useful in compound motion transmitting devices in general.

Of primary concern in connection with the present invention is the provision of a compound motion transmitting mechanism wherein compound movement in one plane may be transmitted through the medium of a joy stick control member so that the requisite movements can be conveniently made by this single element.

A further object of this `invention resides in the provision of an improved lcompound motion system as aforesaid in which the combination of a rotating elevation knob and a joy stick control lever is utilized, such entities being disposed in generally concentric relationship with respect to each other so that the user may obtain requisite manipulation of the device with a minimum of effort and wherein such movements can be effected by one hand.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a compound motion mechanism wherein coarse and ne adjustments in one plane are accommodated in simple yet effective fashion and wherein, further, the mechanism for effecting fine adjustment is also so constructed as to permit the mechanism to be locked up to immobilize the moving element.

A further object of this invention is to provide a compound motion assembly wherein the motion transmitting mechanism utilizes reaction elements which rely upon frictional gripping characteristics to `impart the requisite line motion but wherein such frictional gripping action may be overcome when coarse or gross adjustment of the mechanism is required.

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of a slit lamp having a compound motion mechaice nsm provided with a fine adjustment mechanism which operates by means of a frictional gripping action, wherein coarse motions are achieved in simple fashion merely by overcoming the frictional gripping characteristics of the fine movement mechanism, and wherein convenient means is provided for selectively increasing the frictional engagement thereby to immobilize the compound motion mechamsm.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a mechanism as aforesaid wherein the control element is capable of selectively -increasing the frictional gripping characteristics so as to immobilize the supported member in simple yet eiicient fashion.

Other objects and advantages of the invention Will appear from the description hereinbelow and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section taken through an optical instrument incorporating the principles of the present invention, the section illustrating internal details of the adjusting mechanism and showing the mechanism for compound motion movement;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially along the plane of section line 2 2 in FIG. l showing further details of the -compound motion mounting mechanism and the motion transmitting mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the plane of section line 3 3 in FIG. 1 showing vthe mounting mechanism and the elevating gear train;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken substantially along the plane of section line 4 4 in FIG. 2 showing details of the reaction mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a portion of the reaction mechanism;

FIG. 6` is an enlarged sectional view taken through the motion control mechanism; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view showing one of the gripping elements an-d the manner in which the frictional engagement may be varied.

Referring at this time more particularly to FIG. 1, the reference numeral 10 indicates Igenerally therein a base assembly which is adapted to be supported on a suitable table, stand or the like and which base assembly carries support mechanism indicated generally by the reference character 12 which projects `forwardly and upwardly therefrom to include a chinrest portion 14 and a foreheadrest portion 16 for relatively immobilizing a patients head. The mechanism also includes a bearing frame assembly indicated generally by the reference character 18 which is supported on the base 10 in a manner hereinafter more particularly set `forth for movement along a path from left to right and vice versa in FIG. l. Mounted, in turn, on the frame assembly 18 is a support assembly indicated generally by the reference character 20. The support assembly 20 is mounted for movement in a plane in and out of the page as shown in FIG. 1 so that the mounting assembly 20' is capable of compound motion relative to the -base assembly 10l as provided for by the bearing frame assembly 18. The support assembly 20 carries a mounting assembly indicated generally by the reference character 22` for movement in a vertical path relative to the support assembly 20, there being provide-d means -for preventing relative rotation between these two entities as will appear hereinafter. The mounting assembly 22 includes a forwardly projecting arm portion 24 which rotatably mounts, at its forward end, a ste-reoscopic microscope -assembly indicated generally by the reference character 26. This arm also rotatably mounts a slit lamp and slit projection assembly indicated generally by the reference character 28 for movement about the same axis of adjustment as is provided for the stereoscopic microscope 26 albeit independently thereof.

SAOB, 957

The details of the microscope 26 and of the assembly 28 form, per se, no part of the present invention, however, it will be appreciated that compound motion of the support assembly in one plane will permit the assemblages 26 and 28 to be positioned relatively toward and away and laterally with respect to the patient for properly positioning these entities for examination of one or the other of the patients eyes. It will further be obvious that vertical motion of the mounting assembly 22 will permit the entities 26 and 28 to be positioned in the proper vertical disposition for examination of the patients eyes.

It is a particular feature of the present invention to provide a nested motion control assemblage which is indicated generally by the reference character 30 and which will be seen to include, as s-hown in FIG. 1, an elevating knob 32 and a compound motion transmitting lever 34 for the support assembly 20. These two controls are all that are required to aohieve the three compound motions of the mounting assembly 22. Thus, as

will hereinafter more particularly appear, the elevating knob 32 may be rotated for effecting up and down motion of the mounting assembly 22 whereas the control lever 34 will be seen to be universally mounted for moving the support assembly 20 in the direction of inclination of the lever 34.

With reference now more particularly to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the base assembly 10 mounts a pair of horizontally disposed, spaced and parallel guide -rails 36 and 38 upon which the frame assembly 18 is slidably mounted as aforesaid. For this purpose, the base 10 is preferably of open top boxed configuration as can be seen more clearly in FIG. 1, the base being cut away as at 40 at its forward end to present the forwardly extending `foot portions 42 and 44 (FIG. 3) having wall f portions 46 as shown in FIG. l supporting respectively the forward ends of the guide rails 36 and 38. The opposite ends of the guide rails are supported by the rear wall 48 of the base, substantially as is shown. As can be best seen in FIG. 3, the frame assembly 18 includes a transverse member S0 having trailing arm portions 52 and 54 at the opposite sides thereof. On the upper side of the cross piece are provided a pair of bearing boss members 56 and 58 Iand at the extremities of the trailing arms 52 and 54 are further bearing boss Imembers 60 and 62, all of which bearing boss members project upwardly relative to the main -body portion of the frame assembly 18. On the underside of the cross piece 50 adjacent the opposite ends thereof are depending bea-ring bosses 64 and 66 (see FIGS. 1 and 4 respectively) and on the undersides of the trailing arm portions 52 and 54 are corresponding -depending bosses 68 and 70. The two bosses 64 and 68 slidably receive the guide rail 36 whereas the two bosses 66 an-d 70` slidably receive the guide rail 38, thus allowing for lthe aforesaid linear motion yof the frame -assembly 18 relative to the base assembly 10.

The support assembly 20 includes a top plate portion (FIG. 3) having a `depending skirt formed in part by the depending side wall portions 82 and 84, see particularly FIG. 3, which xedly carry therebetween a second pair of guide lrail members 86 and 88, substantially as is shown. The aligned bosses 60 and 62 slidably receive the guide rail 86 whereas the aligned bosses 56 and 58 slidably receive the guide rail 88. Thus, the support assembly 20 is mounted for linear motion relative to the frame assembly 18 along a path which is transverse relative to the path of movement permitted between the frame assembly 18 and the base 10. Thus, the support assembly 20 is mounted for compound movement in one plane relative to the base 161 by means of the intermediate frame assembly 18, substantially as has been described.

Insofar as the motion transmitting mechanism is concerned, the same includes a reaction assembly frictionally cooperating with the rst mentioned guide rails 36 and 38. One portion of this reaction assembly is formed by a vertical plate member 98, see particularly FIG. 2, which carries adjacent its opposite ends, a pair of split bearings 92 and 94 for frictionally engaging on the respective guide rails 36 and 38. As will hereinafter more particularly appear, the frictional engagement achieved is of importance in the proper operation of the device. Accordingly, provision is made for adjusting such frictional engagement in the manner shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 7 illustrates the manner in which the right-hand end of the plate 91), FIG. 2, cooperates with the guide rail 38. It will be noted that the plate 98 is provided with an enlarged aperture 96 having the flats 98 and 104) thereon which bear against the split bearing member 94. The plate is split as at 182 and an adjusting clamping member 184 is thrcadedly engaged therewith selectively to urge the ilats 98 and 100 towards each other thus to pinch the bearing 94 to achieve a greater degree of frictional engagement between the bearing 94 and the guide rail 38. A similar arrangement is provided for in association with the guide rail 36.

The opposite ends of the plate 9) are provided with forwardly projecting foot portions 106, see particularly FIG. 4, to which extensions 188 are rigidly fastened, which extensions terminate in upturned end portions carrying `further bearing members 112 engaging with the respective guide rails 36 and 38, such extension portions 110 being split in the manner described in conjunction with FIG. 7 to achieve variation in the frictional grip between the bearings 112 and guide rails 36 and 38 as aforesaid.

The other portion of the reaction assembly is comprised of a vertical plate 114, see particularly FIG. l, which is spaced slightly from the plate 90; The plate 114 is captive relative to the plate 90 b-ut is permitted of slight vertical motion relative thereto. For this purpose, as can be seen more clearly in FIG. 5, the plate 90 carries a pair of forwardly extending posts such as that indicated by the reference character 116 in FIG. 5 projecting through oversized openings 118 in the plate 114. The posts 116 mount grooved bushings 120 which maintain proper spaced relationship between the two plates 90 and 114 and permit of vertical motion relatively therebetween as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out.

The plate 90 receives a screwthread element 122 carrying a grooved spacer or washer 124 having its reduced portion straddled by portions of the plate 114 defining the notch 126 therein. The plate 114 is provided with a forwardly struck ear 128 forming an anchor for a tension spring member 130 anchored at its other end on the assembly 122, 124 so as normally to bottom the washer 124 within the notch 126. For a purpose which will be presently apparent, the opposite ends of the plate 114 are provided with extension portions as is shown in FIG. 5 which underlie portions 142 of the trailing arms 52 and 54 of the frame assembly 18 and which are adapted to enlgage the undersurface of such portions 142 under certain circumstances as will hereinafter be set forth. However, the spring 130 normally maintains these parts out of engagement. The opposite ends of the plate 114 also are provided with upstanding portions 144 and 146, see particularly FIGS. 2 and 3, and each end of the plate 114, is, as well, provided with a forwardly projecting pad portion such as that indicated by the reference character 148 in FIG. 5. These pad portions 148 carry pedestal members 150 in rigidly xed relationship thereto and the pedestal members have split upper end portions 152 and 154 provided with clamp adjusting means as is shown in FIG. 7 for adjusting the frictional grip of respective bushings or bearing members 156 and 158. Slidably engaged within but at the Same time frictionally gripped by the bushings 156 and 158 is an actuator rod or bar member 160.

The actuator rod 161] is disposed, centrally thereof, and on opposite sides thereof, with flat portions straddled by the upstanding legs and 172 of a cradle member having a bottom portion 174 joining such legs and being provided with a cylindrical undersurface as at 176, see particularly FIGS. l and 6. Removably received in the iiat portions of the actuator rod 160 are a pair of trunnion members 178 and 180. The trunnion members pass through the legs 170 and 172 of the cradle member and, for this purpose, the legs 170 and 172 have oversized openings to permit of vertical shifting of the cradle member in a manner which will be set forth hereinafter. Straddling the legs 170 and 172 of the cradle member and pivotally received on the trunnions 178 and 180 are the bifurcated leg portions 182 and 184 of the control lever body 186. This body projects upwardly from the actuator rod 160 to pass through a ball member 188 and the body 186 is also bored therethrough and receives the lever stem portion 190. The lower end of the stem 190 is externally threaded and the internal corresponding portion of the body 186 is also threaded so that rotation of the stem 190 will effect axial movement thereof relative to the body 186. Such rotary motion between these two entities may be limited as by a stop element 192 carried by the knob 194 in turn fixed as by the set screw 196 to the upper end of the stem 190. The stop member 192 operates within an interrupted cutaway portion of the upper extremity of the body 186 and prevents complete 360 rotation of the stem 190 relative to the body 186.

The upper extremities of the legs 170 and 172 are notched to provide the upstanding ears 280 and 202 such as are shown in FIG. 6 to receive therewithin a bearing block member 204 having an arcuate upper surface 206. Thus, when the stem 190 is projected through the body 186, it will bear against the block 204 and will engage the -undersurface 176 of the cradle assembly against the upper edge 210 of the plate member 90. Continued motion of the stem 190 will cause the plate 114 (since it is connected to the actuator rod 160) to move upwardly until the projection portions 140 thereof engage the undersurfaces of the trailing arm portions. 142 as aforesaid. When this occurs, the actuator rod 160 will be snubbed against the bushings or bearings 156 and 158 and the guide rails 36 and 38 will be snubbed against the bushings 92 and 94, thus immobilizing the support assembly 20.

With reference now more particularly to FIG. 6, further details of the control assembly will be seen therein. As shown, the top wall 80 of the support assembly 20 is provided with an opening receiving a bearing sleeve 220 having a thrust collar portion 222 overlying a suitably formed boss on the top wall 80. Rotatably received within this sleeve 220 is a cylindrical hub member 224 which is provided with a radially extending thrust collar 226 at its lower end, substantially as is shown. Suitably fixed to the hub 224 as by pinning or the like is a gear element 228 and in order to control the axial thrust of the hub 224, the same is provided with external threads receiving a nut member 230 which overlies the collar portion 222 of the bearing sleeve 220, thus xing the parts in proper disposition relative to each other. The hub 224 is provided with a shoulder 232 presenting a seat for an annular bearing ring 234 which cooperates with the upper bearing ring 236 rotatably to receive the aforementioned ball 188, thus permitting of universal motion of the control rod assembly 34. The control knob 32 is threadedly received on the upper end of the hub 224 and it is provided w-ith a downwardly facing shoulder 240 bearing against the upper ring 236 and serving adjustably to vary the friction on the ball member 188, the purpose of which will be presently apparent. In order to aix the particular frictional adjustment on the ball 188, the control knob 32 is provided with a set screw element 242 (see FIG. l) and which set screw element also serves to aix the control knob 32 to the hub 224 so that the hub 224 rotates in response to rotation of the control knob 32.

As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 3, the aforementioned gear 228 forms one element of a gear train which includes also the idler gear 244 and the driven gear 246, intermeshed in the manner illustrated. A suitable bearing and retaining device 248 (see FIG. l) is provided for properly locating the gear 244 whereas the gear 246 is pinned, as at 250, or otherwise suitably secured to a hub member 252 fixed to the lower end of an internal sleeve nut 254 (FIG. l). As is also clear from a study of FIG. l, the sleeve nut member 254 is rotatably received in the body 256 of the pedestal assembly indicated generally by the reference character 258, such pedestal assembly including a nose portion 260 projecting downwardly through the top wall of the support assembly 20 and which pedestal assembly 258 is rigidly aixed by suitable fasteners to the support assembly 20. The sleeve nut 254 is provided with a retaining nut member 262, as shown, and suitable thrust bearings 264 and 266 are provided, it being apparent that the sleeve nut 254 rotates within the body 256 in response to rotation of the control knob 32. The interior of the sleeve nut 254 is threaded and receives a screw elemment 268 for axial feeding of the latter, in a vertical direction, in response to motion of the control knob 32. The upper end of the screw member 268 is provided with a transverse slot 267 into which tangs of a washer 269 are projected to prevent rotation of the screw member 268, the washer being xed to the assembly 22 as shown. A fastener 271 serves to prevent separation between the screw member 268 and the support assembly 22. Fixed to and projecting downwardly from the mounting assembly 22 is a main support sleeve member 270 slidably received in the nose 268, the members 268 and 270 cooperating to permit vertical motion of the mounting assembly 22. The bottom of the nose 260 is provided with a seat for a compression spring element 272 surrounding a pilot tube 274 serving to maintain the compression spring 272 in alignment, the upper end of the spring 272 seating against an adjustable plug element 276 received in the upper end of the support sleeve 270. The purpose of the spring 272 is to take up some of the weight of the mounting assembly 22 and the elements mounted thereon and thus render elevation of the mounting assembly 22 as effected by the control knob 32 somewhat easier than would otherwise be provided. A key 278 received in the groove 280 of the pedestal body serves to prevent the assembly 22 from rotating relative to the pedestal body 256.

One may perhaps best envisage the compound movement operation 0f this invention by rst ignoring the compound' motion lever 34, actuator rod 160, plates 90 and 114 and their associated entities. With this in mind, the assembly may be viewed as including the base 1i) and its rails 36 and 38 which mount the bearing frame 18 for movement along the rails 36 and 38; and the rails 86 and 88 of the bearing frame 18 mounting the support assembly 20 for movement therealong in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the bearing frame. With this arrangement it should be clear that gross or coarse movement may be imparted to the support 20 simply by pushing on the support in the desired direction, and that this movement .is compound in the horizontal plane.

Next, one might now consider the reaction plate 114.

In the simplest sense. this plate is nothing more than a A reaction member which holds fast the lower end of the compound motion lever 34 so that movement of the upper end of this lever to the left or right (FIG. 2) w-ilfl cause the support to move in the same direction albeit to a much lesser extent. This elfect -is achieved by virtue of the fact that the reaction plate 114, being connected to the plate 90, cannot move to either the right or the left and that the reaction plate engages the actuator rod with frictional drag. Assuming the frictional drag to be sutiicient as established by the adjustable means therefor, the actuator rod cannot move axially and the lower end of the compound lever 34, being connected to the rod, is thus effectively held stationary to allow the fine adjustment of the support 20 as aforesaid.

The other fine adjustment motion may be traced similarly, it being seen that it deals with the remaining por tion 9() of the reaction assembly. The reaction plate 90, due to its frictional drag on the rails 36 and 38 effectively holds fast the lower end of the compound motion lever 34 when such lever is imparted, at its upper end, of fore and aft motion in FIG. 2 or what is the same thing of left or right motion in FIG. 1. The result, of course, is the line adjustment motion of the support 20 to the left or right in FIG. l.

The reaction assembly is also so constructed as to allow the support 20 to be immobilized. Rotation of the lever knob 194 (FIGS. l and 6) in one direction will lrst cause the undersurface 17 6 of the cradle assembly to bear against the upper edge of the plate 90 Whereafter continued rotation of the lever knob will raise the lever stem 186 and consequently the shaft 160 and plate 114 (the plate 99 cannot be pressed downwardly) unti-l the projections 140 of the plate 114 jam against the trailing arm portions 142 of the vertically fixed bearing frame. At this point, the actuator rod is pulling up against the bearings 156 `and 158 of the plate 114 and the plate 90 is being pressed down so that its bearings 92 and 94 bear down on the rails 36 and 38. The pressure is suicient to lock the entire assembly against any movement, gross or tine.

The mechanism features ease of control by simple manipulation as effected by one hand, leaving the other hand free to perform other duties. In normal use, the control stick .34 and knob 32 may be grasped as a unit and gross adjustment achieved by simply overcoming the rictional drag of the fine adjustment mechanism. When fine adjustment is desired, the control stick 34 is simply pivoted to move in the direction of desired motion and, of course, vertical motion which may be necessary is easily eiected by turning the knob 32 without necessitating any shift-ing or relocation of the hand already positioned for control purposes.

It is to be understood that certain changes and modications as illustrated and described may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An adjustable suport device for optical instruments and the like comprising, in combination:

a base, a frame and a carriage,

rst means for mounting said frame on said base for and reaction means cooperating with said opposite end of the compound control -lever for moving said carriage in the direction of movement manually imparted to said one end of the compound control lever, said reaction means comprising a member slidably connected t0 said frame for movement relative thereto parallel to said rst path and adjustable friction means between said member and said frame for resisting such movement of the member, a second member carried by the lirst mentioned member and said frame for sliding movement with respect thereto parallel to said second path and adjustable friction means between said second member and said frame for resisting such sliding movement of the second member, and connecting means attaching said second member to said opposite end of the compound control lever.

2. The adjustable support device as defined in claim 1 wherein said compound motion control lever is threadedly engaged with said connecting means for immobilizing said carriage relative to said base.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,240,398 4/1944 Hum. 2,940,357 6/1960 oswoid 35i- 3s 3,204,584 9/1965 Mladjan.

3,241,243l 3/1966 speer 33-1 3,258,776 6/1966 Boyle et a1 33 1 DAVID SCHONBERG, Primary Examiner.

P. R. GILLIAM, Assistant Examiner. 

